I Can't Believe That Honoka Is This Dense!
by DistantSenpai
Summary: Everyone is in love with Honoka, but she somehow isn't aware of it. Follow the girls as they try to make Honoka realize their feelings! Various short stories with individual pairings (500 words or more) that (mostly) don't have anything to do with each other.
1. Pocky Adventures (Kotori)

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to 'Love Live!'**

* * *

Kotori was slumped over her desk in the classroom that was empty except for her, holding a half-eaten Pocky stick between her lips.

She had told Honoka and Umi to go home without her, as she wanted to concentrate on designing the costume for their next Live.

With that said…

Kotori chewed the remainder of the stick, then sighed heavily, depressed that no ideas were coming to her.

She reached for another stick, then held it between her lips as she started to think again.

The first step of designing costumes for her was envisioning her ginger-headed childhood friend, then trying to imagine what would look cute on her.

"Honoka-chan…" Kotori whispered, then closed her eyes to try to get a better idea.

Maybe something with a lot of frills? Or possibly something more revealing?

As images of Honoka performing various poses and wearing different clothes flashed by in Kotori's thoughts, she blushed faintly.

'I can't think of anything…' she thought to herself dejectedly, then opened her eyes.

When she did, she saw the figure of Honoka standing in front of her, giving her a happy look.

"Now I'm even seeing Honoka-chan…" Kotori murmured, then slowly reached out her hand, but froze when she actually felt something there.

Was it really…

"H-Honoka-chan!?" Kotori shouted with embarrassment and leaned back in her chair in surprise.

Ah.

Too far.

A loud thud resounded in the classroom as Kotori fell to the ground in her chair.

"Kotori-chan?!" Honoka exclaimed in surprise as she quickly ran over.

Kotori gently rubbed the back of her head as she sat up.

"Ow…" Kotori murmured, then froze again as she was suddenly enveloped in warmth.

Honoka held Kotori tightly, then gently ran a hand through her hair as she breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm glad you're okay…"

Kotori smiled happily as she looked up from Honoka's shoulder, but then her eyes widened.

She blushed deeply when she saw how close Honoka's face was to hers.

"H-H-Honoka-chan, you're…" Kotori stumbled on her words as her eyes practically started spinning.

Honoka tilted her head slightly with confusion when she saw Kotori's expression and red face.

"Hm? Do you have a fever?" Honoka asked worriedly, then leaned closer and pressed her forehead to Kotori's.

Kotori closed her eyes due to embarrassment.

'That's not how you do it, Honoka-chan…' she lightheartedly complained in her thoughts, then slowly opened her eyes again, then stared at her, captivated.

Honoka looked so pretty…

Without thinking, Kotori moved very slightly toward Honoka's lips.

Just a little more…

Kotori closed her eyes again as she got closer, but then stopped, confused when she didn't feel anything.

When she opened her eyes again, Honoka was further away, smiling brightly at her.

"It doesn't seem like you have a fever. That's great!" she said sincerely.

Kotori looked at Honoka for a few moments, then put on a small smile.

She felt a bit guilty about almost doing that to Honoka when Honoka was seriously worried about her, so she decided to change the subject.

"What are you doing here, Honoka-chan? I thought you walked home with Umi-chan," Kotori recalled simply.

Honoka stopped hugging Kotori, then put her hands in her own lap as Kotori asked the question.

"Well, it didn't feel right leaving you here to work by yourself, so I just came back! I was going to let you focus, but then it looked like you were sleeping, so…" Honoka trailed off as she gently scratched her own cheek nervously.

Kotori was happy, but ended up waving her hands in front of her, trying to say that it wasn't a big deal.

"You don't have to do all that…" she murmured, but then Honoka tilted her again.

"Hm? Why not?" Honoka asked curiously.

Kotori put a finger to her own chin, confused.

"Wouldn't you rather walk home with Umi-chan?" Kotori asked, thinking that it must have been boring just watching someone try to draw.

Honoka shook her head quickly, then gently grabbed Kotori's hands in hers.

"Being with Umi-chan is fun, but I also love Kotori-chan!" she announced happily with a smile.

Kotori's whole face turned red, but then she realized that Honoka's 'love' most likely didn't mean the same as her own definition.

Kotori quickly reached her arms out and hugged Honoka.

"I love you too, Honoka-chan!" she confessed energetically, and Honoka hugged her back.

…

"Here, Kotori-chan," Honoka said quietly as she held out a Pocky stick toward Kotori's face.

After their hug, they picked the chair up, and Honoka brought a chair to the opposite side of the desk as she watched Kotori draw.

Kotori parted her lips as instructed and waited.

Honoka brought the stick close to Kotori's lips, then realized that she was getting hungry as well.

Kotori widened her eyes in surprise as Honoka held one end of the stick between her lips, then brought the other end to Kotori's.

Kotori blushed, but quickly accepted the other end.

Kotori tried to bring her attention back to the paper, but then realized something.

There was no way to draw like this.

The two stared at each other for a moment, then Honoka started eating absentmindedly.

Kotori tried her hardest to pretend that she was drawing, but she fidgeted in her seat as Honoka's lips came closer to hers.

Kotori slowly worked on her end of the stick, and before she knew it, they were almost there.

Just a bit more…

Their lips brushed against each other, then Honoka broke the stick as she quickly stood up and started yelling in panic.

"Ahh! I forgot! I have to help out at the store today!" Honoka exclaimed, then immediately grabbed her bag and walked toward the door of the classroom.

"Sorry Kotori-chan! I'll help you tomorrow too, so don't worry!" she assured her, then left the classroom as an image of an angry Yukiho popped into her head.

As Honoka's steps echoed throughout the hallway, Kotori held her hands to her mouth as she could feel her body start to become hotter.

Was that actually…? Did they really…?

Kotori was in shock for a few more moments, but then giggled happily and quickly gathered her belongings.

"Wait for me, Honoka-chan!" she shouted energetically as she ran out of the classroom after Honoka.

* * *

**Side Notes:**

**This is a HonoHarem series with various one-shots. Harem involves the entirety of ****µ's + A-RISE.**

**I hope you enjoy!**


	2. Piano Lesson (Maki)

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to 'Love Live!'**

* * *

Maki was practicing the piano alone after school on an off day for µ's, then Honoka showed up uninvited.

Maki didn't have any particular reason to turn away Honoka, so she relented and let Honoka listen.

The two of them sat side-by-side on the bench as Maki played, and Honoka slowly swayed her body in tune with the music as she closed her eyes and listened.

Maki sighed quietly as she finished the piece without any major issues. She could normally only focus on new pieces when she was by herself, so she was slightly surprised at herself for being able to play it just fine now.

Honoka smiled energetically, then rested her hands on the bench she was sitting on as she leaned back.

"I always love hearing you play, Maki-chan!" she said happily.

Maki blushed lightly, then turned her head away from Honoka.

"Don't lie," she rejected the compliment immediately due to embarrassment, but then she felt her hands being held. She turned her gaze back to Honoka in surprise.

"I'm serious! It always sounds amazing, I could never do that!" Honoka said sincerely as she looked into Maki's eyes.

However, Maki tilted her head in confusion.

"You play the piano?" Maki asked with a hint of disbelief in her voice.

Honoka quickly shook her head to deny it, then gently scratched the back of her head in embarrassment.

"W-Well, I tried it when I was a kid, but I couldn't really make it sound good…" Honoka trailed off as she thought back to the memory.

They were able to play with instruments when they were kids, and Honoka insisted on trying the piano. Umi and Kotori cheered her on, but she quickly gave up after five minutes, complaining that it was too difficult.

Maki listened to Honoka's story, then laughed quietly.

"Want me to teach you a bit?" Maki suggested with a small smile.

Honoka looked at her with excitement, then leaned in close to her.

"Really?! You will?!" she asked as her eyes beamed with expectation. If Maki taught her, then maybe she could be just as mature as her.

Maki blushed again after Honoka's sudden burst of energy, then crossed her arms together as she averted her eyes.

"Just a little bit, okay?" Maki agreed, and Honoka cheered.

…

So how did it come to this?

Honoka was sitting in-between Maki's thighs, the bench barely having enough room to support them both with how they were seated.

"I don't know how I'm supposed to teach you like this…" Maki lightheartedly complained in a whisper.

"Hm? What'd you say, Maki-chan?" Honoka asked as she glanced back toward Maki.

Maki sighed quietly.

"Nothing. Well, just start playing a bit and get a feel for it," Maki suggested, then rested her chin on Honoka's shoulder so she could watch.

"Eh?! Well…okay," Honoka accepted it without much resistance, then started to lightly press various keys, figuring out which ones made which sound.

As Maki watched, the fact that they were so close to each other kept distracting her from actually listening.

She softened her gaze and simply relaxed.

'She smells nice…' Maki thought to herself, then she glanced to the door, making sure no one else was watching them. When she realized it was clear, she gently wrapped her arms around Honoka's waist.

Honoka felt Maki's hold on her, but simply relaxed as she continued to play.

"Maki-chan, is there anything I should be practicing?" Honoka asked enthusiastically as she rested her hands on the keys.

"Hm? Well…" Maki replied half-heartedly, quickly becoming disinterested in teaching Honoka to play, her attention focused elsewhere.

Still, it was her idea, so she had to do something.

Maki reached out a hand, then softly grabbed Honoka's.

"Try playing this," Maki said warmly as she moved Honoka's hand with hers, pressing the keys in order to play a short jingle.

Honoka looked amazed after the sounds stopped. Even though Maki was basically doing all of the work, she was shocked that her own hand was able to make the piano sound like that.

"One more time!" Honoka pleaded, focusing her attention fully on the piano to remember the key order.

Maki noticed Honoka's earnest expression, then smiled softly as she restarted the jingle.

"Then this key…" she murmured, then found herself unable to resist it anymore.

Maki started to plant light kisses on Honoka's neck as their hands continued to play the keys, Maki relying solely on her memory.

Honoka shivered a bit at the sudden contact, then quickly glanced behind her at Maki, who had a seductive gaze.

"Maki-chan?! I can't pay attention if you're doing that…" Honoka pouted due to her attention on the piano lesson being lost, somehow not minding the kissing.

Maki was amazed at Honoka's lack of reaction, then she smiled a bit.

"Sorry. Okay, do it like this," she said seriously, then actually taught the keys to Honoka properly.

Honoka nodded energetically, then tried to play it by herself.

She was completely concentrated on the piece, and as she got to the end of it…

Maki gently bit Honoka's neck.

Honoka instantly jolted a bit as a quiet gasp escaped her lips, then she quickly stood up with a faint blush on her cheeks.

"Jeez, I can't play with you doing that!" Honoka complained as she held a hand to the spot on her neck that Maki bit, then stormed out of the room, leaving Maki alone.

Maki was blushing as well as she watched Honoka leave, then looked to the ground.

'Did I go too far?' she thought to herself as she brought a finger to her lips.


	3. Practice Schedule (Eli)

"…and then after running a few laps around the school, we could head back to the rooftop and-" Eli cut herself off when she noticed that her ginger-haired friend was no longer paying attention.

Eli breathed a heavy sigh, then looked toward Honoka with narrowed eyes.

"Jeez Honoka, do you care even a little bit about this?" Eli asked with a slight hint of impatience in her voice.

A while before this conversation, Eli had asked Honoka to help her come up with a new training schedule for µ's. Honoka agreed soon enough, and the two of them headed to Eli's house.

When they started their current schedule it was incredibly difficult, but now they were all easily going along with it.

Eli was proud of the group's progress, but she didn't think that they would get better unless they started on a more demanding practice schedule.

Now, Eli was starting to regret her partner choice for this project.

Honoka froze for a moment when she suddenly heard her name, then nervously scratched the back of her head when she realized that she was caught lost in thought.

"I-I do care! I care a lot!" Honoka quickly answered with a stammer at the sudden accusation.

However, Eli slowly rolled her eyes.

"Then why were you sleeping just now?"

Honoka looked taken aback, but immediately brought her hands to her eyes and rubbed them, intending to fully wake herself up.

Eli's lips slowly formed into a small smirk as she watched Honoka, then she quietly giggled.

"Sorry, sorry. You weren't asleep," Eli confessed easily, feeling a little guilty about lying to her after seeing Honoka's honest reaction.

After being asked to join µ's, Eli had spent a lot more time with Honoka, and quickly realized that Honoka could be incredibly gullible after zoning out, and most of the time she wouldn't remember anything that happened during that time.

Eli had thought about using Honoka's nature for…other, more mischievous purposes, but ultimately decided against it. She was satisfied enough just watching Honoka's various expressions.

When Honoka learned that Eli was lying, she let out a quiet sigh.

"Still, you usually do this with Umi-chan. Why did you ask me this time?" Honoka asked curiously as she moved her gaze toward Eli.

Eli shrugged her shoulders, then put one leg over the other as she leaned back in her chair and met Honoka's eyes.

"That's the third time you've asked that, you know," Eli reminded her nonchalantly.

Honoka pouted a bit.

"That's because you keep dodging the question, like just now!" Honoka immediately pointed out in response, unsatisfied with the lack of an answer.

Eli blushed faintly, then averted her eyes for a moment so she could finally respond.

"I-I just wanted you to help me this time, that's it. Isn't that fine?" Eli answered vaguely, finding it impossible to tell Honoka the true reason.

Honoka looked at her skeptically for a few moments, but then decided to just accept the answer from her senior.

"It's hard to think of this stuff, though…" Honoka absentmindedly complained as she gently rested her head on her arms on top of the table.

Eli smiled, then reached out her hand and softly ran it through Honoka's hair.

"What will it take for you to think about this seriously?" Eli asked quietly as she brought her hand back to Honoka's head, then rested it there.

Honoka looked up at Eli, then tilted her head slightly as she thought.

"A reward, maybe?" Honoka replied in the form of a question, not sure what exactly she wanted herself.

However, Eli looked at her curiously.

"A reward? Like what?"

Honoka was troubled.

She had answered Eli's first question without much thought, and now she was being prompted to clarify what exactly she wanted.

She pondered the question for a minute as Eli waited patiently, and she eventually came up with an answer.

"I want you, Eli-chan!" Honoka answered happily with no doubt in her voice.

A small blush appeared once more on Eli's cheeks as she stared blankly at Honoka due to the bizarre answer.

"…say that again?" Eli asked her after a few moments, confident that she had misheard her, but sure enough, the same answer came again.

"I want you as my reward!"

Eli's face flushed with red fully this time, her imagination quickly getting the best of her.

"W-W-What do you mean by that?!" Eli asked quickly with an uncharacteristic panicked stutter.

In response, Honoka stood up from her chair, causing Eli's eyes to widen.

Honoka walked over to where Eli was sitting, then sat down on the floor nearby and patted the space next to her.

"Come, sit down," Honoka suggested with a smile.

Eli swallowed subconsciously due to nervousness, but strangely didn't ask any questions about the sudden request.

Eli got up from her chair, then slowly sat down on her heels on the space next to Honoka.

When Honoka saw how Eli was sitting, she smiled even brighter.

"Wow, you already knew!" Honoka said excitedly, then quickly laid down so her head was now in Eli's lap and she was staring up at her.

"Eh…huh?" Eli could only make sounds of confusion in response to the situation.

There were a million different things running through her head when Honoka had said that she wanted her as the present, but she never imagined that this is what Honoka meant.

"Honoka, what is-" Eli started to ask for an explanation, but cut herself off when she noticed that Honoka was already blissfully sleeping away.

"Already?!" Eli asked herself with disbelief, then sighed happily as she ran a hand through Honoka's hair once more and gazed down at her peaceful sleeping face.

"The reward's supposed to come after you help me…" Eli pointed out in a whisper, but truthfully, she didn't mind the situation.

She slowly leaned down, then gently kissed Honoka's cheek, careful to not to wake her up.

"Sweet dreams, Honoka."


	4. New Goal (Nico)

"No, no, no, you're doing it wrong again!" Nico complained light-heartedly, then sighed.

Earlier, they held their practice session just like normal. However, they were trying to practice a new song, and Honoka wasn't able to perform her part properly.

Surprising even the recipient herself, Honoka asked Nico out of everyone to help her practice the moves, and Nico quickly agreed.

After all, it wasn't every day that they could be alone together.

Now, the two of them were still on the rooftop after all the other members had already gone home, and Nico was so far unsuccessful in her attempts to teach Honoka.

When Honoka was reprimanded by Nico once again, she sighed and suddenly lied down on the rooftop, her forearm covering her eyes from the sun bearing down on her.

"It's too hard!" Honoka complained in response.

Nico looked down at her, flabbergasted.

"Huh?! You're already giving up?!" Nico asked in disbelief as she crouched down beside Honoka.

Nico hadn't known Honoka for as long as Kotori or Umi, but even she had never seen Honoka give up on something this easily. It was a complicated move that she was asked to do, but still…

"I'm just resting, just give me five minutes…" Honoka begged in a listless tone.

Nico looked at her skeptically, not quite believing that, but she wanted to trust her anyway.

Quickly after that decision, that trust was betrayed.

Nico noticed Honoka's chest slowly rising and falling, and how her movements seemed much calmer now.

Somehow, Honoka had fallen asleep on the rooftop right away.

"What…" Nico murmured to herself, shocked.

Was this really the same girl that she had started to have feelings for? It was difficult to believe.

Nico lightly poked Honoka's cheek, trying to wake her up. She was the one who brought up the idea of practicing, so she wasn't going to get out of it that easy.

"Hey," Nico called out to her in a scolding tone, but neither that nor the poke received a reaction from the sleeping girl.

Quickly growing tired of the act, Nico reached out her arms under Honoka's, then started to lift her up.

But she misjudged the difference in their builds, and her own strength.

Her attempt to lift Honoka up was a compete failure, and on top of that, she somehow fell forward on top of her.

A now half-awake Honoka was staring up at her with a confused gaze, and Nico's cheeks started to feel hot.

Nico could only stare down at her with focused eyes, too stunned by the sudden closeness to make a move.

Honoka didn't wait though.

She wrapped her arms around Nico and rolled over to her side, bringing Nico with her despite the sudden yells in surprise.

"Nico-chan…" Honoka whispered happily as her eyes closed again, and she appeared blissful.

Meanwhile, Nico was trying to make sense of the situation.

First, Honoka went to sleep. Then, she tried to lift her up. It was as simple as that.

So why was she now being hugged?!

She panicked as she was suddenly held tightly and blurted out the first words that came to mind.

"W-What are you doing?! Are you still asleep?!" she guessed the only reason that she could think of.

..

Then she froze in shock when she didn't receive an answer after a few moments.

"No way…you're joking, right?" Nico asked herself in astonishment, then finally brought her gaze back to Honoka's face, only to be met with a content expression.

It took Nico a few more moments to finally calm down, and then she relaxed with a quiet sigh.

She herself used to sleep with stuffed animals, so she kind of understood what was going on, but it was still difficult to comprehend.

Honoka had even said her name when she grabbed her, so it wasn't like she was being confused for someone else.

Nico's eyes widened at the sudden realization, then thought to attempt something.

She swallowed subconsciously due to nervousness, then spoke.

"…what do you think about me?"

A few moments passed with no response, so she repeated the question, a bit louder this time.

"What do you think about me?" Nico asked with a serious expression on her face.

Honoka shifted her body in her sleep a little, then hugged a bit tighter.

"…love…"

Nico's heart skipped a beat after she was met with the mumbled answer, but she continued.

"And Nozomi? Or Umi?"

"…love…too…"

Of course.

A quiet sigh escaped Nico's lips as she listened to the expected answer.

Even though it was sleep talk, the dreaming Honoka probably didn't understand what type of 'love' Nico was referring to.

Although it was somewhat satisfying to hear her say that, Nico wasn't as happy as she thought she would be.

Someday, she would have to make Honoka say it while awake and referring to 'that' type of love.

But now…

Completely tired of the drawn-out act, Nico decided to try waking her up once more.

..

"Ow!'

Honoka suddenly yelped in pain as a flick to her forehead woke her up, then she quickly looked around her to find out what was going on before her eyes rested on Nico, still wrapped in her arms.

"Huh…? Nico-chan? Why are you-?"

"Practice!" Nico cut her off with a reminder, then escaped Honoka's grasp and quickly stood up.

Honoka gave her a blank look, and then she looked at Nico's outstretched hand.

Nico noticed Honoka's confused expression, then softly smiled.

"You're practicing your part, remember? Hurry up or we won't go to that cake shop after," Nico playfully warned her.

Honoka's eyes widened at the sudden threat, then she immediately grabbed Nico's hand and stood up.

"But you promised!" Honoka quickly protested, but she was simply met with a smug look from Nico.

Now with the proper motivation in play, Honoka was eventually able to dance her part well enough for the next practice session.

Nico fulfilled her end of the deal afterwards, then on her way home, she started to make plans for her new-found goal.

She would make Honoka fall in love with her for real.


	5. Surprise (Anju)

"Kousaka-san!"

Honoka had just finished practicing with the rest of µ's and was leaning against a wall near the school gate, waiting for everyone else to finish changing, when her name was suddenly called.

When she turned toward the direction of the voice, she noticed a slim figure wearing sunglasses and a hoodie with the hood up, any hair the person may or may not have tucked away.

Honoka looked at the individual with confusion, but ultimately decided to respond.

"Hello…who are you…?" she asked quietly, cautious.

With a smile, the suspicious person brought both of their hands toward their face, using one to pull the hood down and the other to remove the sunglasses.

As the hood came down, beautiful red hair with curls at the ends spilled out, and a pair of magenta eyes stared back at Honoka.

When Honoka immediately realized who it was, she began to freeze up in surprise.

"A-A-Anju-s-!" she started to yell out, but Anju quickly stepped forward and gently covered Honoka's mouth with a hand.

"Shh," Anju instructed her quietly as she started to look around to see if there were any other students nearby.

Anju had unintentionally pressed Honoka up against the wall when she went to silence her, and now Honoka was just watching her with nervousness.

Why was someone from A-RISE at Otonokizaka? Did they want to declare war or something? No, that wouldn't be it, µ's isn't that popular. But why was Anju acting so suspicious?

Honoka's internal questions had no end to them, but after confirming that the coast was clear, Anju turned her attention back to the overexcited ginger next to her.

"…you won't yell if I take away my hand?" Anju asked in a whisper, not wanting a potential repeat of what just happened.

Honoka quickly nodded in response.

Anju sighed in relief, then pulled her hand away from Honoka's mouth.

Honoka frantically looked around, making sure nobody else was there because it seemed like Anju wanted to keep this meeting secret, then leaned in close to Anju.

"Anju-san, what are you doing here?!" she asked the first question that came to mind.

Anju looked at her blankly for a moment, then giggled.

"I just wanted to see you, I guess?" she answered vaguely.

Honoka looked at her confused, unsure what to make of that answer, but Anju simply smiled.

It was pretty much the reason she was there, but she left out the important bits.

Ever since A-RISE learned about µ's, Tsubasa had been keeping up with the information around them. They immediately watched any new videos, and sometimes got into silly conversations about which µ's member was the best.

Tsubasa had chosen Honoka, and that answer never changed as they watched more and more of µ's.

Tsubasa's excitement over the single member made Anju curious, and before she knew it, she was at Otonokizaka.

"Well honestly, I-" Anju started to speak, but cut herself off when she heard familiar voices in the distance.

The other members of µ's were walking toward the entrance.

Honoka turned her head and opened her mouth to answer, but Anju quickly reached out and gently grabbed onto Honoka's wrist.

"Come with me," Anju said playfully with a smirk, then immediately took off running with her companion despite the sudden sounds of surprise coming from Honoka's lips.

…

Anju put an end to their running as she led Honoka into a mall in the heart of the town.

Honoka put her hands on her knees as she collected her breath, but Anju seemed perfectly fine with that amount of exercise.

Anju patiently waited for Honoka, who eventually recovered and then stared at Anju.

"Why…why did we run…?" Honoka asked shakily and then let out a tired sigh.

Anju listened to the question, then brought a finger to her own chin to think about it.

It was all very strange of her. She went to Otonokizaka out of the blue, and then basically kidnapped the leader of µ's and brought her here.

She realized that she wasn't going to be able to come up with a satisfying answer for Honoka, so she just went with the simple reason.

"I like you, I guess?" Anju answered in the form of a question strangely, not sure of it herself.

She was just interested in Honoka, so she wanted to learn more.

"You…like me? What do you mean?" Honoka asked in confusion, caught off guard.

However, Anju just smiled and started to walk again, Honoka's wrist still in her grasp.

Honoka was surprised, but actually put a stop to it this time as she planted her feet on the ground and pulled her arm back, stopping Anju.

"Anju-san, can you come with me?" Honoka asked happily with a smile.

Anju turned her head and gave Honoka a questioning gaze, but then decided to listen as she let go of Honoka's wrist.

"Sure," Anju replied with a smile as well, and now it was Honoka's turn to lead them.

Without missing a beat, Honoka reached out and connected the two of them once again, but she held on to Anju's hand instead of her wrist, which made Anju blush faintly.

…

It wasn't very long before they reached their destination.

When Honoka stopped walking, Anju eyed the small booth in front of them curiously.

"This is what you wanted?" she asked just to make sure, and Honoka quickly nodded.

"I can't really believe that this is happening, so I wanted proof, I guess…" Honoka trailed off with a embarrassed laugh.

Anju looked at her, surprised for a moment.

She didn't really think it was that big of a deal, but if Honoka was that excited over this meeting…

It made her happy.

"Well, let's go then," Anju said decidedly with a cheerful smile, then walked into the booth, tugging Honoka along with her.

It was a bit cramped, but nothing that they couldn't work with.

Honoka immediately started tapping buttons on the screen, and Anju quickly followed along as they decided which options they wanted to go with.

Honoka didn't pay any mind to how close they were due to the cramped nature of the booth, either since it seemed normal to her or maybe she was just that dense.

Anju had noticed it though.

They've only talked for a bit, so she couldn't really say whether or not she liked Honoka romantically. Being curious about her would be the most accurate statement.

But she was definitely conscious of her in this tiny area though.

Anju's blush returned as she looked to her side and saw Honoka's face so close, but Honoka kept her eyes glued to the panel in front of her.

Anju's eyes slowly lowered from Honoka's eyes to her lips, and she stared at them for a moment.

However, she was quickly snapped out of her thoughts.

"Are you ready, Anju-san?" Honoka asked brightly as she turned her head in Anju's direction.

Anju instinctively leaned back a bit, embarrassed due to her own thoughts, but she quickly shook her head and focused on what they were doing again.

"Mhm, let's take a lot of them, okay, Honoka-chan?" Anju smiled as she nonchalantly changed her way of addressing Honoka, but Honoka didn't seem to notice it as she looked back at the screen.

"Okay…it's starting!"

With that, the camera in the photo booth started to repeatedly take pictures.

Most of them were normal for the most part, but a few of them featured Anju teasing Honoka by grabbing her waist or softly blowing air near her ear and neck.

One of them had Anju kissing Honoka's cheek.

When it happened, Honoka was taken aback, but Anju acted naturally as if it was just playing around, and it quickly drifted away from Honoka's thoughts.

They made copies of the photos so they both had two of each picture, and they eventually made their way out of the mall.

…

"Okay…and saved," Anju said with a smirk as she looked at the new name in her contact list.

"Me too!" Honoka said excitedly, and the two giggled quietly.

Honoka looked at the new entry in her list with a soft smile, then looked up to Anju's face.

"Today was really fun, Anju-chan," she said sincerely, and Anju smiled back. Sometime after the photos were taken, Honoka had started referring to Anju differently as well, and Anju didn't feel the need to bring it up.

Anju noticed her surroundings becoming darker, so she decided to end things there for the day.

"Don't forget to message me back later, okay?" Anju reminded her playfully as she started to turn around.

"Mhm! I'll remember!" Honoka answered assuredly, and Anju fully turned around as she raised a hand up to wave from behind.

"Bye-bye, Honoka-chan."

"Bye-bye!"

They separated from one another. Honoka ended the day with another friend made, and Anju now had a new interest, along with plans to inform the other members of A-RISE that they would need to make a move soon if they didn't want their interest taken.


	6. Reality (Tsubasa)

Tsubasa let out a quiet sigh of relief as she stepped inside the clubroom.

"Sorry for making you do that," Tsubasa quickly apologized, but Honoka immediately shook her head in response.

"No, it's fine! It was actually kind of fun," Honoka assured her, and Tsubasa gave a small smile.

Earlier, Tsubasa had messaged Honoka out of the blue, asking if the two of them could meet soon. To her surprise, Honoka responded within a minute, saying that they could meet that same day. Honoka didn't even ask any questions as to why Tsubasa suddenly wanted to talk.

The two of them had exchanged their contact information during the first round of the preliminaries, but this was the first time that they had talked beyond simple texts since then.

When Honoka had arrived at UTX, Tsubasa led her inside discreetly, even taking time to make sure that nobody was in their path.

She felt a bit silly about it all, so she apologized, but thankfully Honoka didn't seem to mind it.

Tsubasa just didn't want to cause any trouble for µ's by having unnecessary rumors spreading around.

"Do you want any tea?" Tsubasa offered as she walked further inside the room and grabbed the teapot off the counter.

"Ah, yes please," Honoka answered after a few seconds, her attention elsewhere as her gaze spanned across the elegant clubroom, still surprised at how different it was compared to their own.

Tsubasa glanced at Honoka, then raised a brow.

"You don't have to be shy, you know. Please, take a seat," Tsubasa said kindly, then Honoka jolted a bit, snapped out of her thoughts once again.

"Yes!" Honoka answered as if it was a command, then lightly blushed in embarrassment as Tsubasa giggled softly.

Honoka brought her hands together in her lap as she sat down on the sofa, and her eyes naturally drifted to Tsubasa's back as she made the tea.

She didn't know why Tsubasa suddenly wanted to meet her, but Honoka didn't regret immediately accepting the invitation.

They were rivals in Love Live, but she still respected and admired A-RISE very much. It was also thanks to them that she even got the idea to become a school idol, and in turn, stopped Otonokizaka from closing.

And to add on to that, Tsubasa was-

"Sorry for the wait," Tsubasa casually interrupted Honoka's thoughts as she set the tray down on the table, then sat next to Honoka.

Honoka blushed slightly, embarrassed at being lost in her thoughts once again, so she immediately reached for a cup to distract herself from it.

"Thank you," Honoka said quickly as she brought the cup near her lips.

Tsubasa's eyes widened.

"Kousaka-san, I wouldn't-" she tried to stop her, but cut herself off as the cup's contents passed through Honoka's lips. It was already too late.

…

…!

Honoka immediately set the cup back down and covered her mouth, the pain causing her to wriggle on the sofa.

Tsubasa sighed lightheartedly.

"I just made it, you know…" she said quietly, then stood up from the sofa to find something that'd help the situation.

* * *

After Honoka's burnt tongue was mostly dealt with, the two of them finally began their conversation.

"How's practice going? For Love Live, that is," Tsubasa asked so she could ease into the actual topic she wanted to discuss.

Honoka set down the bottle of water that Tsubasa gave her, then looked down at the table in front of her.

"We're doing great! We're happy that we made it past the first round, but…" Honoka trailed off, and Tsubasa gave her a curious look.

"But?" Tsubasa urged her to continue.

Honoka smiled softly.

"Well…I think we're all nervous about the next round. Every group is amazing, and we even have to beat you, A-RISE," Honoka admitted easily.

Tsubasa listened patiently, then leaned back as she looked toward the ceiling.

"You're underestimating yourselves."

"H-Huh?" Honoka stammered, unsure how to respond to that, but Tsubasa continued regardless.

"Of course, we intend to win. But your group isn't as weak as you think. To be honest, we also…" Tsubasa trailed off as she thought back to her conversations with Erena and Anju.

Then she sighed quietly, deciding not to get hung up on it.

"Anyway, all of you should have more confidence. You're all talented, and most importantly, they have you," Tsubasa commented casually, and Honoka stared at her blankly in response.

"Me…? What about me?" Honoka asked, fully confused by the remark.

Tsubasa smirked slightly.

"Also, there's something else I have to apologize for," Tsubasa ignored the question and changed the topic, deciding to not confess everything to Honoka just yet.

She took in a breath, then continued.

"I heard that Anju visited your school. I hope she didn't cause any trouble for you," Tsubasa said, worried by what she heard from Anju.

However, Honoka quickly waved her hands in dismissal.

"Ah, don't worry! I was surprised, but it ended up being really fun!" Honoka explained, not wanting to cause trouble for Anju.

Tsubasa glanced down at the table.

"Hm…I see. That's good then," she remarked simply as she brought her cup near her lips, then took a sip.

As she sat the cup back down she snuck a peek at Honoka to monitor her reaction.

"Did anything happen while you were with her?" she asked casually.

Honoka brought a finger to her chin as she thought back to the day, but after a few moments, gave up.

"I don't think so…" Honoka answered innocently.

Tsubasa raised a brow however.

"Really? Nothing at all?" she pried.

If Tsubasa closed her eyes, she would be able to clearly see the photo that Anju showed her a few days ago.

When Anju showed it to her, Tsubasa was shocked, but she slowly accepted the reality.

She had no business being upset that Anju made a move. It's not like Tsubasa was in a relationship with Honoka or anything like that.

So naturally…

She'd just have to make that a reality.

Honoka was a bit confused by Tsubasa's insistence, but she attempted to remember that day once again.

"Well, we went to the mall, looked around, and then we took some photos together. That was it, I think…" Honoka trailed off, not entirely sure of it herself.

Tsubasa continued though.

"And nothing happened while you were taking pictures?" she attempted to jog Honoka's memory.

Sadly, it was useless.

"Nothing that I can think of, why?" Honoka answered sincerely after a few moments.

Tsubasa sighed quietly.

Either Honoka really didn't remember it, or she was trying to hide it for some reason. But judging by her reaction…

It really seemed like she didn't remember it.

In either case…

"You know, Kousaka-san…" Tsubasa started softly as she turned her body to face Honoka.

Honoka looked back at her seriously, unsure what to expect, but remained silent as Tsubasa continued talking.

"When we told you that we'd been watching your group closely, it wasn't a lie. But me personally…" Tsubasa trailed off as she leaned closer to Honoka, who instinctively leaned back in response as her eyes widened slightly.

Tsubasa smirked.

"I've had my eyes on you. And to be completely honest…"

Honoka swallowed subconsciously as Tsubasa came closer.

What was this feeling?

Why did her chest feel so tight?

Before she could even start to think of the answers, Tsubasa spoke again.

"I think I like you."

Honoka stared back at her in amazement.

Tsubasa…liked her?

Like…

"I-I like you too, Tsubasa-san! And Erena-san and Anju-san, I like all of-"

Honoka's sentence was cut off by Tsubasa.

Tsubasa was gently holding onto Honoka's chin as their lips connected.

Honoka's face turned completely red immediately, and Tsubasa held the kiss for a few moments longer before breaking away with a playful smile.

"I like you in this way, Kousaka-san. Not just as a friend," Tsubasa explained calmly, deciding that it would be easier to show Honoka how she felt rather than tell her.

Honoka was frozen in place for a few seconds, then she stood up almost robotically.

"T-T-Thanks for the tea…" Honoka barely managed to say through stammers, and she started to shakily walk toward the clubroom door, almost as if she was on auto-pilot or completely entranced.

Tsubasa quickly stood up in response, worried, but Honoka collected herself enough to hold out her palm to stop her.

"I'm fine, I just need to…think for a bit…" Honoka explained unconvincingly, but after some more back-and-forth, Tsubasa reluctantly gave up on trying to walk her home.

* * *

As soon as Honoka had a closed door between herself and Tsubasa, she leaned against a wall and held her hands over her lips.

What…was that!?

It was like something out of a manga!

And…that feeling…

Honoka lowered a hand, then gently brought a finger to her lips.

As she did so, her mind raced back to the events from just a few moments ago, and her face turned red with embarrassment once again.

Just what was that!?

* * *

Tsubasa absentmindedly stared at the spot where Honoka was a few moments ago as she replayed the kiss in her thoughts.

She touched her lips softly, then lightly blushed.

"Was that too much for her?" she asked herself in a whisper, feeling a tad bit guilty.

* * *

**Ending Notes:**

Hello everyone.

Apologies for the late release of this chapter. I recently started a new story, I'm trying to fix some mistakes in a completed story, and I'm also studying for an exam that I'm taking soon.

But anyway, I hope that you'll all be able to enjoy this chapter despite the long wait.

Thank you for reading as always!


	7. House Visit (Umi)

Umi slowly walked down the hall, then paused in front of Honoka's room.

On the way to Homura, unusual thoughts sporadically filled her head. This would be her first time alone with Honoka in a while, so she was looking forward to it, but she could do without the embarrassing imagery.

Who knew that someone could get so flustered from their own imagination?

Regardless, she was happy that she'd have Honoka to herself.

Of course, she loved everyone else in µ's just as much, and didn't mind being around them either, but…

She had a separate goal in mind that she could only accomplish if it was just the two of them.

She took in a deep breath, then let it out and relaxed as she slid the door open.

"Honoka?" she asked quietly as she leaned forward and glanced around the room.

All of the built-up anxiety just deflated all at once.

Honoka was lazily sprawled across her bed, an open bag of potato chips and a manga side-by-side in front of her.

"Ah! Umi-chan!" Honoka excitedly called out as she looked toward the doorway.

However, Umi quickly slid the door closed in response.

Umi turned around and leaned back against the door with a sigh as a muffled voice repeatedly called out to her.

She felt silly for being so nervous about their meeting only to end up witnessing that sight.

But…

Umi eventually relaxed again, and a small smile formed on her face.

That was the girl she fell in love with after all.

She slid the door open once more, then spotted her energetic friend, who was now standing up.

"Umi-chan, that was mean!" Honoka quickly protested as she walked up to Umi.

"It's your fault for showing me that, you know," Umi replied vaguely as she turned her head away, and Honoka gave her a confused look.

"Huh? What do you…?" Honoka started to question, but her attention started to stray toward the basket in Umi's hand.

"Oh! Is that…?" she trailed off as her hands subconsciously started to move toward the basket, but it was quickly pulled away.

"Your mother said we should have some, but I think you've been eating too much already," Umi scolded while eyeing the bag of chips on the bed, and Honoka practically fainted.

"No fair, Umi-chan!"

…

After some persistent persuading from Honoka, Umi finally relented and said that Honoka could have some of the sweets.

They sat down next to each other at the small table in the room, and Umi watched helplessly as Honoka grabbed one of the sweets.

Umi made a mental note to make sure Honoka worked extra hard at the next practice session.

"I didn't know you'd come here, Umi-chan," Honoka said absent-mindedly as she took another bite, and Umi glanced her way.

"Well, it's not every day that we don't have school or practice, so I…" Umi trailed off as she averted her eyes.

"Hm? So you what?" Honoka prodded, and a faint blush appeared on Umi's cheeks.

"It's not important," Umi quickly tried to brush it off, but Honoka leaned toward her as she pouted.

"Eh!? Come on, tell me, Umi-chan!" Honoka insisted impatiently.

Umi leaned away in response to Honoka, but eventually realized that she wouldn't win that game.

"I just wanted to spend time with you, okay!? There!" Umi admitted quickly as her face started to grow even hotter.

She stared down at her lap, too embarrassed to watch Honoka's reaction.

Now she felt even more silly than before. If she became this flustered over a simple sentence, how was she ever going to tell Honoka her feelings?

Before she could continue thinking, a force sent her to the ground.

"I love being with you too, Umi-chan!" Honoka said happily as she held Umi in her arms, who was now panicking.

…

Umi let out a quiet sigh as she realized that she'd done it again.

She became caught up in Honoka's pace.

What was supposed to be a valuable chance for her to deepen their relationship, had now been turned into an afternoon lazing around.

Well, for Honoka at least. Umi was now attempting to come up with lyrics for a new song.

As Honoka's laptop played one of Maki's songs, Umi repeatedly tapped her pencil on the notebook in front of her.

"Honoka?"

"…hm?"

Umi knew that it most likely wouldn't help, but she still liked asking regardless.

"Do you have any ideas for the song?" she asked, a small trace of hope in her voice.

The answer came a bit delayed.

"…the sea," Honoka answered listlessly, and Umi turned her head and looked at her curiously.

"Me? What do you…?" she trailed off when she noticed the expression on Honoka's face.

She'd seen this sight many times before.

And just as predicted…

Honoka's body leaned toward the side, and her eyes closed as her head landed on Umi's shoulder.

"A-Already!?" Umi stammered in disbelief, then quietly sighed.

She quickly smiled though.

Umi jotted down some ideas for lyrics, making sure to stay as still as possible while doing so, then set the pencil down.

"Here we go…" she murmured as she shut the lid to the laptop, then brought a hand around to Honoka's side to gently lay her down.

She started to feel happy watching the various expressions that appeared on Honoka's sleeping face.

The energetic, sometimes too enthusiastic girl. The one who pulled her along when they were children, and was now leading her on another adventure.

"I love you."

Umi smiled again after she whispered her important message, then promised herself that she'd say it properly next time.

She started to stand up, but then paused to glance one more time at Honoka.

Well…

Maybe getting caught up in her pace wasn't such a bad thing.

With the plans to leave cancelled, Umi took a spot next to Honoka and closed her eyes as well.

* * *

**Ending Notes:**

Apologies for the slow chapter release this time around. I don't really have a reasonable excuse, I just couldn't think of any good ideas and every time I started to write I would blank out. I'm sorry.

As for this chapter, I really like this pairing, but I can't imagine Umi as the one chasing after Honoka, so we arrive at this cute moment instead. I feel like Umi's a character who is respectable, hard-working and serious, but is easygoing with others and always manages to go along with Honoka's pace regardless if she wants to or not. I like Umi a lot.

Thank you for reading as always! I'll try to make sure the next chapter comes out in a reasonable timeframe.


	8. Make-Up Exams (Umi & Kotori)

Honoka let out a quiet sigh as she left the classroom.

Because of her, the eight other members of µ's couldn't practice that day. Of course, they were able to do basic exercises, but it was impossible to efficiently practice their dance without all nine members.

And the reason she wasn't able to attend practice was…

She had to take a make-up exam.

Honoka felt drained as she walked through the school's main entrance, but what awaited her made her eyes widen.

"Umi-chan…? Kotori-chan…?"

The two heard the familiar voice, then smiled as they turned toward her.

"Honoka-chan!" Kotori answered happily as she jogged toward Honoka, and Umi quickly followed.

"How was it?" Umi asked calmly, and Honoka gave them a confused look in response.

"Why are you…" Honoka started to murmur, then suddenly reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, then looked at it for a moment.

"It's so late! What are you doing here?!" Honoka asked as her eyes darted back and forth between the pair, and Kotori giggled while Umi sighed.

"What did you expect us to do?" Umi replied as it was obvious, and Kotori nodded.

"We always walk home together!" Kotori chimed in.

Honoka stared at the pair in amazement for a few moments, then quickly wrapped her arms around them both.

"W-What are you doing?!" Umi exclaimed in surprise, and Kotori started to wriggle in Honoka's grasp.

"I-I can't breathe, Honoka-chan…" Kotori lightly complained, but Honoka brought them closer.

* * *

Kotori and Umi managed to survive Honoka's embrace, and the three of them started on their walk home.

"No way!" Honoka replied in shock immediately, and Umi looked away, fearing the persuasion powers in Honoka's eyes.

"What else can we do? We can't let this happen again," Umi continued the suggestion, and Kotori watched the conversation, finding it hard to pick a side.

"B-But for two weeks?! What about practice?!" Honoka pleaded while subconsciously saying goodbye to her time lazing around the house.

"We can just do it after practice. And it was going to be for a month, but two weeks is more than fair," Umi said as she glanced toward Honoka.

Honoka could feel her heart drop when she heard the word 'month.'

She looked at Umi in despair for a few seconds, then quickly turned to her last resort.

"K-Kotori-chan!"

"Eh?!" Kotori was caught off guard, and Honoka stared at her with pleading eyes.

Umi turned her attention to Kotori.

"Kotori!"

Kotori's gaze dashed back and forth between Honoka and Umi as she started to think.

Ever since they were children, Kotori's cared about Honoka and Umi immensely. But almost every time Umi scolded Honoka, Kotori found herself taking Honoka's side because she felt bad for her.

But this time…

"I like Umi-chan's idea!" Kotori decided, and Honoka's soul left her body as Umi silently thanked Kotori.

* * *

With Kotori's vote in favor, Umi's suggestion was put in place immediately.

Because Honoka had failed an exam and therefore interrupted µ's' daily practice schedule, Honoka would now be studying after school with Umi and Kotori every day for two weeks.

Usually, when the three of them planned to do anything after-school that involved being indoors, they'd go to Homura.

But Umi told them that it'd be bad if anything interrupted their studying, so she suggested that they go to her family's dojo instead.

Now, the three of them were sitting near a table inside a large, mostly empty room.

"So, you take this and…" Umi quietly spoke as she motioned toward the paper in front of Honoka.

Kotori wrote down a short reminder in the corner of the page as Umi explained it, then added a quick doodle.

"Um…" Honoka interrupted in a murmur, and Umi and Kotori glanced at her curiously.

"Hm?"

"What's wrong?"

Kotori and Umi responded casually in order.

"I can't really write…" Honoka explained vaguely with a small laugh, and the other two followed her gaze.

They had both subconsciously moved closer to Honoka as the lesson went on, and each had an arm pressed against one of Honoka's.

"Ah! Sorry!"

"Sorry, Honoka-chan!"

Kotori and Umi both pulled their arms away as soon as they noticed it, and a faint blush remained on their cheeks as they looked down nervously.

…

Moments like that continued for a while before they suddenly realized how late it was in the day.

Kotori and Honoka moved to leave, but then learned that it had started raining during their study session and hadn't stopped yet. With their parents' permission, they decided to just spend the night at Umi's home.

After changing into some spare pajamas lent to her by Umi, Honoka walked into the room, only to see Umi laying out the futons.

"So early!" she said in surprise, and Umi threw a curious gaze in her direction.

"You're not tired?" she asked curiously, causing Kotori to look towards Honoka as well.

Honoka shook her head.

"No, it's not that. It's just…" Honoka trailed off and tilted her head slightly as she thought of how to explain it, but Kotori smiled happily as she caught on.

"We haven't done it in a while, right?"

"Yeah! What Kotori-chan said!" Honoka replied excitedly, and two pairs of eyes locked on to Umi, full of energy.

"…what?" Umi replied cautiously as she subconsciously took a step back.

"A sleepover! It's been so long! It's a waste to go to sleep so soon!" Honoka suggested.

"Huh? But we-" Umi tried to argue, but Honoka and Kotori immediately stepped toward her while pleading with their eyes.

"Umi-chan!"

"Umi-chan…"

Honoka and Kotori both bet on Umi's sweet side, and Umi could feel her resolve quickly crumbling away.

"…I suppose we might as well…" Umi yielded quietly, and was then quickly pounced on in response.

"Yay, Umi-chan!" Honoka cheeered energetically while smiling, and Umi could start to feel herself lose air due to the increasingly tight hold on her from both girls.

She squirmed in their grasp to get a warning out at least.

"Don't complain about being too tired to study tomorrow, Honoka!"

"Okay!" Honoka and Kotori both responded in unison, for some odd reason.

…

After playing a few card games and having silly talks about whatever came to mind, the three of them turned off the lights and retired to the futons laid out by Umi earlier.

Their futons were side-by-side, and they all seemed to be cozily wrapped inside their respective ones.

Honoka's eyes began to slowly close as she felt herself being pulled into the dream world, but then she felt a gentle and warm presence lightly press itself against her back.

"Honoka-chan?" the voice called out quietly, wondering if the energetic girl in front of her was asleep.

Honoka slowly turned her body to face the presence, and her eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness as she recognized Kotori's smiling face.

"What is it?" Honoka answered cheerfully, and a shade of red appeared on Kotori's cheek, unknown to Honoka.

"I love you," Kotori admitted happily, and before Honoka could even respond, she felt a presence pressed against her back once again.

"M-Me too. A-And Kotori," Umi confessed, her nervousness revealing itself through her voice.

Umi felt embarrassed admitting it, but if Kotori was going to do it, she wanted to as well. Even if Honoka wasn't going to realize what they actually meant, she still had to let her know.

As for Kotori in regard to Umi's last remark…

"I love Umi-chan too!" she answered without any hesitation.

Honoka smiled as if she was in bliss from being surrounded by Umi and Kotori, then sat up for only a moment before turning around and putting her arms around both of them.

"I love you too, Umi-chan, Kotori-chan!"

It felt a bit difficult to breathe for each of them as Kotori and Umi sat up and reciprocated the hug, but none of them minded the feeling.

After they calmed down and decided to sleep for real this time, they decided to abandon the idea of three futons, and huddled together in a large, combined one.

Umi and Kotori slept on Honoka's left and right side respectively, each with a hand intertwined with one of Honoka's as they made a silent promise to themselves.


End file.
